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Cold Sesame Noodles Chinese Takeout Style (but better!)

These noodles are a perfect summer meal, rich, creamy, aromatic, and refreshing. And it's super quick and easy to throw together, no fuss and barely any heat, everything I require for cooking in over 100-degree weather!

Not to be dramatic but a lot of times I would order Chinese takeouts just so I could get the cold sesame noodles as a side. The sesame paste and peanut butter in the sauce marry so well and really bring the aroma and flavor to a whole new level. So of course I had to make these myself but with better ingredients and lots, lots of sauce ;)

I used rice ramen noodles instead of wheat noodles to make it gluten-free. And both the peanut butter and sesame paste are homemade with only one ingredient each! You can of course simply use store-bought and pretty much any noodles you like.

I do, however, strongly advise against using tahini to substitute for sesame paste. They taste very different, the Chinese style sesame paste is made with toasted sesame seeds and has a sweeter, more nutty, more aromatic flavor; tahini, on the other hand, is made with raw sesame and has a much much stronger earthy taste. The flavor profile of tahini would not go very well in this recipe.

Watch the video below for a more visual guide on how to make this classic cold noodle dish or come find me on Instagram and Tiktok.


INGREDIENTS:

4 oz rice ramen noodles or regular wheat ramen noodles

1 1/2 tablespoon white sesame seeds

2 tablespoon peanut butter

2 tablespoon sesame oil, divided

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 rice vinegar

1 tablespoon coconut amino

1 teaspoon syrup

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 - 2 teaspoon chili oil, optional

1 cucumber

2 radish

Chopped peanuts and sesame seeds for garnish


TO MAKE:

- Cook the noodles according to package instructions till al dente, and immediately drain and rinse the noodles under cold water;

- Transfer to a bowl, toss the noodles with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, to prevent sticking;

- In a nonstick pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat till golden brown and you can smell the aroma;

- Ground the toasted sesame seeds in your mortar and pestle set till a buttery paste forms, or, pulse in your food processor till a paste forms;

- Mix together the sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, coconut amino, syrup, minced garlic, and chili oil if you like a little kick, stir till everything is mixed well and the sauce is smooth;

- Shred the cucumber and thinly slice the radishes;

- Pour the sauce into the noodles and stir to combine evenly;

- Serve with the fresh veggies on the side, garnish with chopped peanuts and sesame seeds, enjoy!


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